Editing Milk (section)

===Nutrition for infant mammals===
{{Further|Breastfeeding|Lactation}}
[[File:Woman breastfeeding an infant.jpg|thumb|upright|Breastfeeding to provide a mother's milk]]
[[File:Goat kid feeding on mothers milk.jpg|thumb|A goat kid feeding on its mother's milk]]
In almost all mammals, milk is fed to [[infant]]s through [[breastfeeding]], either directly or by [[Breastfeeding#Expressed milk|expressing]] the milk to be stored and consumed later. The early milk from mammals is called [[colostrum]]. Colostrum contains [[antibodies]] that provide protection to the newborn baby as well as nutrients and growth factors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Uruakpa |first1=F.O. |last2=Ismond |first2=M.A.H. |last3=Akobundu |first3=E.N.T. |doi=10.1016/S0271-5317(02)00373-1 |title=Colostrum and its benefits: A review |journal=Nutrition Research |volume=22 |issue=6 |pages=755–67 |year=2002}}</ref> The makeup of the colostrum and the period of secretion varies from species to species.<ref>{{cite book |title=Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary |year=2007 |publisher=Saunders Elsevierv |vauthors=Blood DC, Studdert VP, Gay CC |place=St. Louis, MO |isbn=978-0-7020-2789-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/saunderscomprehe00doug}}</ref>

For humans, the [[World Health Organization]] recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and breastfeeding in addition to other food for up to two years of age or more.<ref>[https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/index.html The World Health Organization's infant feeding recommendation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411034406/http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/index.html |date=April 11, 2013 }} [[World Health Organization|WHO]], based on "Global strategy on infant and young child feeding" (2002). Retrieved February 8, 2013.</ref> In some cultures it is common to breastfeed children for three to five years, and the period may be longer.<ref>{{cite magazine |author-link=Katherine A. Dettwyler |first=Katherine A. |last=Dettwyler |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-17039763/when-to-wean |title=When to Wean |url-access=subscription |magazine=[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History]] |date=October 1997 |access-date=February 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606003237/http://www.questia.com/read/1P3-17039763/when-to-wean |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Fresh goats' milk is sometimes substituted for [[breast milk]], which introduces the risk of the child developing [[electrolyte]] imbalances, [[metabolic acidosis]], [[megaloblastic anemia]], and a host of [[allergic reactions]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Basnet |first1=S. |last2=Schneider |first2=M. |last3=Gazit |first3=A. |last4=Mander |first4=G. |last5=Doctor |first5=A. |title=Fresh Goat's Milk for Infants: Myths and Realities{{nbsp}}– A Review |journal=Pediatrics |volume=125 |issue=4 |date=April 2010 |pages=e973–77 |doi=10.1542/peds.2009-1906 |pmid=20231186|s2cid=31557323 }}</ref>